National Park Service celebrates 109th anniversary

SALT LAKE CITY — Although Yellowstone became the country’s first national park on March 1, 1872, the National Park Service wasn’t established for another 44 years. 

On Aug. 25, 1916, the National Park Service Organic Act was signed by President Woodrow Wilson, creating the force that manages and maintains the system.

Before they became known as the “Mighty Five,” Utah national parks were home to Native American peoples, including the Fremont, Navajo, Ute, Anasazi and Paiute tribes. Evidence of their lives can still be viewed today, as the parks display petroglyphs, tools and baskets, among other artifacts. 

Nowadays, they attract millions of visitors each year. 

Zion: Utah’s first national park 

Mukuntuweap National Monument was designated on July 31, 1909, and would later become Utah’s first national park. 

According to the National Park Service, about 7,000 years ago, the area was inhabited by a group of nomadic natives. Later, the Virgin Branch Pueblo and Fremont Indian tribes settled in the area. 

Following their settlement, the Southern Paiute tribe later moved in. They called the area “mukuntuweap,” meaning “straight canyon.” 

Although the area was initially named after the native word, it was later changed in 1918 to “Zion.” According to the National Parks Conservation Association, Horace Albright, the Park Service’s director at the time, thought Mukuntuweap was too difficult to pronounce. 

In 1918, the name Zion was adopted. It originated from Mormon settlers that arrived in the area in the late 1800s. 

Later, a second Zion National Monument was established in 1937, encompassing the Kolob Canyons. The areas were merged in 1956. 

Now, Zion National Park is the state’s most visited. Smithsonian Magazine reported the park received nearly five million visitors in 2024. 

Bryce Canyon established in 1924

On June 8, 1923, Bryce Canyon National Monument was designated. According to a presidential proclamation, the decision was made to “unusual scenic beauty, scientific interest, and importance.”

Bryce Canyon is known for its sprawling amphitheaters and towering rock formations, as well as being home to the highest concentration of hoodoos in the world. 

The area was named after Ebenezer Bryce, a Scottish immigrant who homesteaded in the area. He built a road to access wood, and eventually, other settlers began to call the area “Bryce’s Canyon.” 

At first, it was administrated by the U.S. Forest Service. 

Just under a year later, on June 7, 1924, the area was designated as Utah National Park and transferred to the National Park Service.  However, the name was short lived, and on Feb. 25, 1928, the park was renamed to Bryce Canyon. 

Canyonlands’ history of exploration

According to Ohio State University, Canyonlands has a rich history of exploration. 

PBS reported that Spanish explorers recorded maps in the area in the 1700s, possibly looking for a route to Monterey California from Santa Fe, New Mexico. Although they explored the area, they notably avoided venturing into its deep canyons. 

According to OSU, Bates Wilson, the superintendent of Arches National Monument, began to explore the area in the 1950s. When he happened upon the area now known as the Needles District, he began to work to get the area established as a national park. 

He led lawmakers on jeep tours and shared presentations about the area, joining forces with Stewart Udall, the Secretary of the Interior, in 1961 and continued lobbying. 

On Sept. 12, 1964, their efforts paid off and the park was designated as Canyonlands National Park. It’s the only park that wasn’t a national monument first. 

Arches inspired writers, even before national park status

In the early twentieth century, an 18-year-old Moab writer named Loren “Bish” Taylor began exploring and documenting the landscapes surrounding the city. Sometimes, he traveled with John “Doc” Williams, who was the city’s first doctor. 

Eventually word spread and a prospector named Alexander Ringhoffer began to publicize the area, leading to its protection. 

On April 12, 1929, Presidential Proclamation No. 1875 designated two small areas as Arches National Monument. 

The park is well known for its red rock scenery, as well as being the backdrop for author Edward Abbey’s 1968 book “Desert Solitaire,” which details his time working as a park ranger at Arches National Monument. Containing Abbey’s views on the desert and modernization, the book earned acclaim among environmentalists. 

Arches finally became a national park on Nov. 12, 1971. Modern boundaries protect 2,000 sandstone formations. 

Capitol Reef rounds out the “Mighty Five” 

Although Capitol Reef has been a home to people of different backgrounds for thousands of years, it is the youngest Utah national park. 

In the early 1900s, Ephraim Pectol, an entrepreneur, and Joseph Hickman, a Utah senator, led advocacy efforts. They wanted to protect the beauty of the Waterpocket Fold, which is a geologic feature that is central in the park’s modern boundaries.

The men, who were brothers-in-law, also hoped establishing a park would increase tourism in the area. However, efforts stalled after Hickman drowned in Fish Lake. 

In 1932, the National Park Service sent Yellowstone Superintendent Roger Toll to visit the area. Toll encouraged “future investigation.” 

The federal government decided the area’s distinct geology warranted national protection. 

Per the National Park Service, Pectol and Hickman also hoped protecting the land could increase tourism, therefore helping the local economy. 

Boundaries were later expanded, and on Dec. 18, 1971, it was designated as a national park. 

What does the National Park Service do?

The National Park Service works to preserve, manage and protect over 85 million acres of land and water. The national park system now contains over 400 sites, 63 of which are national parks. 

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